2013 Onion Growing Challenge

Hiya John.

Yeah, I was thinking the same. Do you have any predictions regarding the final weight?

 

There's no real way of estimating weight apart from the appearance of the plant, mine for instance are way behind others but give the right climate over the next two months could easily catch up, you need an "onion eye" which I'm still trying to master!

 

I think one or two of my Spring onions may be swelling..
Jenny

 

I was looking at them today, and I thought "They look a bit bigger". So, I measured the biggest one again, and it was 16"

 

Brilliant Freddy....just thought the same myself and mine have grown an inch since thursday...still only 10 inches but growing

 

I didn't know of one either, but knowing that an onion of just over 9lbs was 25.5 inches girth and measuring one in the kitchen that weighed nearly 5 ozs at just over 8" girth, I knocked up this table of estimated weights:



(That note was in case anybody cut a 1" cube of onion flesh and said it weighed something different)

 

Freddy that could have been onion shanking

P.S. If anybody's got 'Pests, Diseases and Disorders of Garden Plants'
by Stefan Buczacki and Keith Harris could they look on p 394-5 and post what they say about it as unfortunately Google Books doesn't have the full book online. I'm sure that I've got a copy somewhere, but I've got hundreds of books and they're in a bit of a muddle at the moment.

 

I haven't got it sorry...but do have the Dr Hessayon one...if that's any good

Says....Shanking...." Centre leaves turn yellow and collapse;outside leaves soon follow.Cut open a bulb;the tell tale sign is evil smelling slime within the scales....this disease is much less common than white rot.....
Treatment: None...lift and burn diseased plants...
Prevention:No practical method available.Do not grow onions on infected land for several years"........

 

This is my biggest one...

 

Blimey Freddy.....brilliant

 

Now measuring 19" round I'm nervous...

 

On 20th July:

Today, the 30th July:

That's certainly putting on some weight now with that 3" increase in girth in 10 days, which by my reckoning is about 1 lb 8ozs increase in weight. Keep that up another couple of weeks and it might be a 6lb+ onion! Does it show any sign of being about to finish yet, or is it still growing strong?

@JWK and @Loli What girths are you up to?